Drogue Deployment

  1. Slow the boat down as much as possible without causing a dangerous condition
  2. Read the wind & waves and try to visualize how the force of the drogue is going to effect the boat. This will help you decide which side to deploy on.
  3. If the drogue is attached to the Port side, make sure the boom is prevented to stbd, and vice versa as you don't want the force of the drogue to cause a gybe.
  4. Rig boom preventor
  5. Get Rode
  6. Secure bitter end to 'D' Ring (so we don't accidentally lose it)
  7. Pass working end under rail, through stern chock & out.
  8. Bring working end back in over rail
  9. attach working end to drogue
  10. Wire tie shackle
  11. take 3 wraps on primary winch & take up slack
  12. Retrieve bridal line
  13. Bitter end over rail back in thru chock on port side
  14. tie off bitter end
  15. carefully lower drogue over side
  16. let it drag line from the 3 turns on the primary winch (ie ease it out quickly & smartly)
  17. helmsman should be ready to counter-steer
  18. let it out two wave crests astern
  19. tie the bridal to the drogue rode w/rolling hitch
  20. take three wraps on the primary bridal side winch
  21. let rode & bridal out until centered 20 feet astern
  22. adjust using winches
  23. When all looks good, leave three wraps on the winches and tie off on amidships cleats to help take some of the load off the winches
  24. Attach chafe gear

 

Bridal going out stern chock

 

Here you can see the rolling hitch, which centers the primary rode